Obituary: Blues Brother Alan “Mr. Fabulous” Rubin

Original Blues Brothers Band trumpet player Alan Rubin has passed away in New York City on Wednesday, June 8.

Alan was widely known for his portrayal of Mr. Fabulous in the feature films, The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000, as well as for his trumpet seat in The Original Blues Brothers touring band, where he played his iconic solo in Cab Calloway’s Minnie The Moocher to audiences around the globe annually.

He was a scholarship student at Julliard School Of Music, and an original member of the Saturday Night Live Band. In 1975 he was invited by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd to join The Blues Brothers Horns with his friends “Blue” Lou Marini and Tom “Bones” Malone, as John was an actor on the popular show at the time and loved hearing them play with the likes of Joe Cocker, The Meters, Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Cliff, The Band and Doctor John, to name a few.

Alan was one of the premier session players in New York City, sought out for his expertise in playing every style of music – from classical to jazz to blues to rock and disco – authentically and artistically. When questioned about his professional bio, he usually replied, “been everywhere, played with everyone.” This included recording and performing with Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Blood Sweat & Tears, Aerosmith, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and many more.

Donald “Duck” Dunn, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Dan “Elwood” Aykroyd, John “Mighty Mac” Goodman, and more recently with Original Blues Brothers Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer Steve “The Colonel” Cropper and his good friend “Blue” Lou Marini. When interviewed on the road, Alan often said, “Being a Blues Brother is a very Zen experience.”